Dad was 'innocent victim' after £300 payment before job application landed him in court
A dad-of-four has sought to defend his name after he was caught applying for a security job with a cloned license, insisting: "I was just a victim."
Luke Donnelly claims he formerly held a Security Industry Authority (SIA) license before he ended up at court in December and January.
The 33-year-old claims his ordeal began after suffering an injury following a Mixed Martial Artists (MMA) bout in March 2024.
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Luke was left unable to work as a fence erector on construction sites and began falling behind on mortgage payments.
Seeking to provide for his family, Luke says he tried to get back into work in the security industry.
He paid a man - who he described as an acquaintance or 'friend of a friend' - £300 to renew his license, which he said had expired in 2023.
Luke is adamant that he believes he is getting a "legitimate" license and is unaware of any wrongdoing on his part, he claims.
He ended up applying for a job with a company called Active Security Solutions Ltd, which spotted the cloned license during routine checks and alerted the SIA.
The SIA launched an investigation and Luke was later charged.
Luke said he was at a low point at this time because he could no longer train or work due to his injury and was 'sectioned under the Mental Health Act'.
Luke was ordered to appear for trial in December last year at Dudley Magistrates Court; however, he failed to attend, and he was found guilty in his absence.
A warrant was later issued and Luke was arrested ahead of his sentencing at Walsall Magistrates' Court in January.
Luke was sentenced for two offences, which were for using a cloned licence and for failing to surrender to bail. He was given a community order of 120 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £3903 prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £114.
Seeking to defend his name, Luke revealed that he is taking part in a charity boxing match next month and a marathon in April, both in aid of Acorns Children's Hospice.
Luke told BlackCountryLive: "The way I see that, I was a victim of a crime.
"I was applying for a job and someone said 'my license needs renewing'. I held a card, it was just out of date.
"I thought I was just renewing my card and I'd done the necessary training before, that's why you couldn't renew it, but obviously I was wrong in thinking that.
"Subsequently, I got charged with a counterfeit license and stuff.
"My representation in court was absolutely terrible. They didn't go into my mental health problems.
"Originally, in the original court date, they did mention the fact that I was renewing the license, so I went not guilty.
"The solicitor said I was well within my grounds to say 'not guilty'. It went to trial but on the day of the trial, I was suffering terribly with my mental health. I missed court, so they found me guilty in my absence.
"It's a bit shocking to me, really. I'm still a bit shocked, I feel a bit let down by the justice system."
He added: "I took an injury in the fight and I had a cast on my arm for a certain amount of time. I couldn't really work. I was begging them to let me go in the yard and sweep up, but they wouldn't have any of it.
"So I was left out of work, I fell behind on my mortgage. I got sectioned under the Mental Health Act, I really lost my head a bit at that time because of that. It was around the same time I was trying to get work on the doors and stuff.
"It's been a rough patch for me. I've always been in the gym or training for a fight. I think that's where I went downhill, just not working and I couldn't train. My head just spiralled."
Explaining more about the license, Luke said his friend - who was also a doorman - told him about job opportunities in the security industry. He got in contact with Active Security Solutions Ltd, who asked him to send his license over, which is when he was found to have a cloned license.
"You must be pretty stupid to send your license over if you know it's fake. I was under the impression it was all legitimate.
"Anyone can be caught out by that. I know it sounds mad but I was genuinely caught out by this."
Asked about the person who he handed the money over to, Luke said: "I haven't spoken to them since, I didn't know his name, he went by a nickname. Looking back in hindsight, it looks dodgy. At the time, I was suffering."
He continued: "I was out the security industry for three to four years, I think it (his previous SIA badge) would have been up in 2023, my license would have run out.
"I used to do supermarkets. I had done the odd door, but generally, it was supermarkets, like Morrisons. I did that for probably 18 months and two years.
Luke, who is now a full-time carer for his son, is gearing up to box at The Venue, in Dudley, on March 29. His daughter Casey, 11, will be singing during the interval of the show.
He's also taking part in the Shakespeare Marathon being held at Stratford-upon-Avon on April 27.
Proceeds from Luke's fundraising will go to charity, to donate visit here.
He's gearing up for more charity fundraisers in the future.
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